Category Archives: Australian Capital Territory

South Australia and NSW record new Covid-19 cases as Victoria passes elimination benchmark

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Two new South Australian coronavirus cases, both in quarantine, bring Parafield cluster to 33 people

A casual contact of a Covid-19 case is among two people newly diagnosed with coronavirus in South Australia, while New South Wales has announced eight new cases, all in hotel quarantine.

Meanwhile, the ACT has recorded one new case in a returned traveller and Victoria has surpassed the benchmark for eliminating coronavirus, recording a 29th straight day without a single new infection.

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Australia weather: cold front brings springtime snow and damaging winds to south-east

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Temperatures plummet as snowfall reported in parts of NSW, Victoria and the ACT

Springtime snow has fallen in parts of south-eastern Australia and a severe weather warning is in place as a cold front moves across New South Wales.

Damaging winds hit Sydney on Friday night, with winds of 115km/h recorded at Camden in the city’s south-west, while gusts reached 106km/h in the city.

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Australia’s landlords and tenants: what support is available in the coronavirus crisis?

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With a six-month eviction moratorium agreed nationally, we look at what else is on offer from states and territories

Although the national cabinet has agreed to a six-month moratorium on evictions, it has abandoned attempts to achieve a nationally consistent approach to financial support for residential landlords and tenants through the Covid-19 crisis.

Since Scott Morrison announced residential tenancies would be a matter for the states and territories on 7 April, many have offered land tax cuts in a bid to incentivise rent reductions.

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Are schools open or closed for term 2 amid coronavirus in Australia? State-by-state guide

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Many parents have been left confused about whether students can or should return to school after the Easter holidays

The position of the federal and state governments on whether to send children to school in term two while coronavirus social distancing rules are in force have many parents confused.

Throughout March the Morrison government opposed school closures on the basis of medical advice, but the issue was forced by Victoria bringing forward its school holidays, and other states and territories introducing pupil-free days to prepare for online learning.

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Australia fires: bushfires menace homes and lives – and firefighters warn winds will create new threats

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Embers flare into an out-of-control blaze on ‘another difficult day’ in NSW and in the country around Canberra

• Terror on all sides: inside a firestorm tearing through the Australian bush

The New South Wales premier, Gladys Berejiklian, says the Australian state has experienced “another difficult day” as multiple emergency fires burned across its south-east.

While five emergency warnings were in place on Saturday afternoon for blazes across the NSW south coast and south-east, at 9pm on Saturday evening just one remained at the highest level.

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Suspicious packages sent to US, Pakistani and other consulates in Melbourne

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Diplomatic headquarters in Canberra also targeted as firefighters remove bags labelled ‘Danger asbestos’

The United States, Pakistani, Swiss, Indian, South Korean and New Zealand consulates in Melbourne are among a number of foreign diplomatic headquarters across the city and in Canberra targeted with suspicious packages.

The deliveries on Wednesday sparked an emergency “hazardous material” response and, in some cases, evacuation.

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